“The Cost of Celebration”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

“Joy should never send you into debt.”

Many people quietly panic this time of year, credit cards, expectations, pressure to match what others can buy. Some overspend to avoid shame. Some hide their struggle. Some hosts resent carrying the financial weight. All of it is human. None of it is talked about enough.

The truth is the holidays were never meant to bankrupt anyone’s spirit or wallet. Gifts don’t need price tags to be meaningful. Memories don’t require money to be made. Connection doesn’t have to cost pressure or money, it can be a deposit into the depth of a moment.

The richest gifts are simple,
a story shared,
a kindness spoken,
a moment held with care.

Gentle practice:
Set a personal spending limit for the season.
Honor it like self-respect.

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow, we’ll explore traditions that uplift instead of exhaust.

7 thoughts on ““The Cost of Celebration””

  2. Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt and timely reminder! I truly appreciate how beautifully you highlight the essence of the holidays—connection, kindness, and meaningful moments—over material pressure. Your words are gentle, practical, and deeply encouraging, offering both wisdom and comfort in a season that can often feel overwhelming.

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  3. Your words hit right at the center of it. When my kids were little, they always preferred the boxes and the string to the shiny plastic inside — a reminder that joy is usually simple. It made me think of that old saying about buying things we do not need with money we do not have to impress people who do not care. Your post brings us back to reality: the richest gifts are presence, story, and attention. Thank you for naming what so many feel this time of year.

    -Dean

    https://forming20.com/

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    • Thank you Dean so much.. we all need a few reminders now and then and I remember those days too of my 4 kids and boxes being the highlight to so many holidays. I’ve never been a big holiday shopper I’m a time exchanger.. no time no gift.. we give grandkids a budget and go AFTER the holidays and have dinner and make a big date and take them to pick things or save the money , they choose.. it’s a date and it requires time and energy together.. we wrap nothing and time and making the moment special is the biggest gift…

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        • Oh I love that we did that for the kids when they were little it was always about his birthday .. I always wondered how did it become presents for everyone on his birthday.. we had our kids give something of theirs to their siblings or other friends to celebrate giving on Jesus’s birthday.. I love that what a beautiful gift!

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